Prabowo Declares Giant Sea Wall 'Absolutely Necessary', Cites Netherlands as Example

President Prabowo Subianto has stated that a giant sea wall along the northern coast of Java must be built immediately, cautioning against delaying the project until a disaster occurs.

"We must also build a giant sea wall, a massive embankment to secure the northern coast of Java Island. This is absolutely necessary; we must not wait for a disaster to come," Prabowo said during his speech at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday (14/8/2026).

Prabowo emphasised the need to learn from other nations, such as the Netherlands, where a giant sea wall has successfully protected a large population. "We must learn from other countries. The Netherlands built long-term protection infrastructure without needing to wait for a disaster. The giant sea wall in the Netherlands now protects millions of Dutch residents and has become a symbol of the country’s national technological capability," he stated.

Prabowo also mentioned the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), which is producing technology for the construction of the giant sea wall. The project itself is estimated to take up to 20 years. "This giant sea wall project will take 15 to 20 years to complete. That is a long time; I do not know which future president will inaugurate it, but I am determined that the eighth president will start this project," he said.

The construction is planned to be divided into 15 segments. Prabowo stressed the need for courage to begin the project for the sake of the lives of millions of Indonesians. "We plan to divide this construction into 15 segments from Banten to East Java, up to Gresik. And if carried out simultaneously, it might actually take less than 20 years," he concluded.